Cuyuna Country: Abandoned by mining companies more than 30 years ago, this area of former mining pits and rock deposit stockpiles now boasts regenerated vegetation and clear lakes that draw a wide range of recreation enthusiasts. Twenty-five miles of natural shoreline can be explored by boat or canoe and anglers can cast a line for trout, northern, bass, crappie, or sunfish.
As one of Minnesota’s newest State Recreation Areas, Cuyuna’s 5,000 acres are mostly undeveloped. Off-highway vehicles are not permitted within the boundaries of Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.-MN DNR
Back in July, my husband and I spent the weekend camping with my brother in law, Joe, and his girlfriend, Natalie. We choose True North Basecamp in Crosby, MN because of its proximity to the Twin Cities, hiking in the area, ease of booking online and not-so-roughin’ it facilities (aka a shower house and toilets).
True North has 33 campsites spread out amongst 3 sections of land, as well as 6 uber modern lakefront cabins. The campsites are $19 per night Sunday through Thursday & $29 per night Friday and Saturday. Cabins go for $69 per night Sunday through Thursday & $125 per night Friday and Saturday.
Online booking was a breeze, as was communication with Dan, one of the owners via email. They also provide the option to message via Facebook. I had a quick question regarding firewood the night before we left, and I received a very speedy response. I was also able to purchase some bundles ahead of time which were waiting for us when we arrived.
We opted to rent a campsite for the weekend and were very pleased to find out we were the only group in our area of the campground. The only downside was the proximity to the town of Crosby. I didn’t realize at the time of booking just how close the town was to the campground. Our campsite had a lovely view of the Crosby water tower and high school football field 🙂
If you’re looking for a deep woods, off-the-grid experience, this is probably not the right place for you. If you’re new to camping, have a young family or just really enjoy modern conveniences, then this is the right spot.
Our campsite!
After a hearty pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, we ventured out on our hike on the trails connected to the campground. Here is a link to some handy maps of the surrounding trails and areas. We decided not to bring our bikes on this trip due to space, but if you’re into mountain biking, this is the spot for you!
There’s also a local rental shop if you’d like to take out paddleboards, canoes, kayaks or bikes. To save money, we decided to just hike for the day 🙂 I linked the rental company below for reference.
Here are a few photos from our hike:
Nat & I
The Boys
Beautiful view of one of the lakes!
Once back to camp, we hit the shower-house, which was extremely clean and well maintained. I was very impressed! They even had a box of tampons in the bathroom for the ladies. Nice touch.
We were quite famished from our hike and decided to hit up a local restaurant for dinner. When in Rome right? The top rated restaurant in town happens to be a BBQ joint right near the campground called Louie’s Bucket of Bones. How can you not visit a restaurant with a name like that?
Louie’s Bucket of Bones
Upon arriving, we were greeted by a grouchy older woman who told us to “sit down”. She actually turned out to be quite a gem as our evening progressed – I think it’s all part of the Louie’s divey charm.
Hot tip: Louie’s doesn’t have a liquor license, so they’re not allowed to serve alcohol. Bring your own beer and they’ll provide the cups!
We started with a plate of buffalo wings, which were divine! I had the broasted chicken meal for dinner, which was super delish and hit the spot after a day of hiking in the sun. Luke had the ribs which were equally as good. This is definitely the spot to visit if you find yourself in the town of Crosby! Actually, I think the restaurant is technically in the town of Ironton, MN. It sits right on the border, as you can see both town signs from the front lawn of Louie’s.
After dinner, we headed back to our campsite and unfortunately started packing most of our stuff up due to some impending storms in the forecast. After about an hour of that, we devoured a lot of s’mores, just in time for the arrival of the storm. The remainder of the night was spent playing cards in the tent, drinking boxed wine and listening to the storm roll through.
Our Sunday was cut very short, after a long night of waiting for the storm to pass. I still have PTSD from our Eaux Claires camping experience last year (story for a different day), so I didn’t sleep much. We woke around 5AM to water pooling in the tent (it had been pouring rain all night). The last straw was the side of the tent collapsing into Luke every time a strong gust of wind came by. After about 20 minutes of trying to hold it up, we decided it was probably time to call it. Especially since there was an advisory for strong winds until 11AM that morning.
All in all, it was a great weekend with family and new experiences! I would highly recommend True North to others, especially if you’re into mountain biking. I don’t know if I would camp there again because of the proximity to town, but I would definitely rent a cabin to see what those are like.
Until next time,
-j.
Details & Addresses:
True North Basecamp: 825 1st St SW; Cuyuna, Minnesota 56441
Louie’s Bucket of Bones: 101 4th St, Ironton, MN 56455
Cycle Path & Paddle: 115 3rd Ave SW; Crosby, MN 56441
